既往认为腹主动脉瘤(AAA)仅仅是由于动脉中膜的缺陷所导致,动脉细胞外基质降解、平滑肌细胞的凋亡、氧化应激和炎性反应导致主动脉壁受损.但是近年来研究发现血管内皮也直接或者间接参与了AAA病变,一方面内皮细胞可以分泌多种物质调节血管壁中其他细胞功能,如平滑肌细胞、白细胞等,另一方面内皮细胞功能紊乱以及异常血流对内皮细胞的影响与动脉瘤中膜病变也有一定联系,这些因素共同促进了AAA的形成.对内皮细胞的研究可以为进一步揭示老年性AAA发病机制并为AAA的药物治疗提供新的方向.文章对内皮细胞在AAA发病机制中的作用进行综述.“,”Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has been thought to be caused by defects in the middle layer of the arteries,such as extracellular matrix degradation,apoptosis of the smooth muscle cells,oxidative stress and inflammatory response,resulting in impaired aortic wall.But recent studies have found that vascular endothelial is directly or indirectly involved in AAA lesions,on the hand endothelial cells can secrete a variety of other cell function regulation of vascular wall material,such as smooth muscle cells,white blood cells,on the other hand,endothelial dysfunction and abnormal blood effects on endothelial cells and aneurysm membrane lesions also have certain contact,these factom contributed to the formation of AAA.The study of endothelial cells can further reveal the pathogenesis of senile AAA and provide new directions for the treatment of AAA.